The Mummy's Curse
by The Lone Pig
Summary: Usagi, a tomb raider? What exactly has she uncovered with this latest discovery?
1. one

Hey everyone. I've been up for the past four hours typing this up, because   
I wanted desperately to show Mamoru that I really do care about celebrating   
his birthday. Hey, us guys got to stick together ^_^  
  
Anyhow, tell me what you think -- the story as a whole is my first attempt   
at writing real WAFF, but don't expect any in this chapter, I'm just setting   
things up for later ^_^ Also, Mamo doesn't show up in this chapter much, so   
be patient -- I'll have the next part or two out by tonight. I thoroughly   
intend on finishing this fic up and getting every last part out over the   
course of this celebration ^_^  
The Mummy's Curse  
thelonepig@hotmail.com  
PG  
Light flittered into the crypt as a large stone block fell away from the   
ruins. A crowd of onlookers held their collective breath as perhaps the   
greatest discovery of the twentieth century lay open before their very eyes.   
Cameramen vied for a good position as Tsukino Usagi, ruin explorer   
extraordinaire, posed before her newest find. Reporters swarmed in, eager   
to catch the lovely blonde's first comments on her find.  
  
And Usagi loved every minute of it. She smiled and quickly became taken up   
by the excitement of the moment.  
  
Tsukino...  
  
The blond seemed not to hear her name being called.  
  
Usagi...  
  
An old raspy voice was carried on the stale air coming from the old tomb.   
Tsukino Usagi turned to stare at the open crypt behind her. Had someone   
gone inside? She cautiously peered into the new opening, illuminated now   
for the first time in several hundred years.  
  
A reporter took note of the adventurer's curiousity.  
  
"Miss Tsukino, perhaps we could get the first shots of inside the crypt?"  
  
Usagi swung around, her thoughts brought back to the reality of the 1920s.  
  
"Gentlemen..." she began. "I bring you the greatest discovery of my career,   
if not the greatest discovery of this century. I give you the tomb of King   
Chiba the First..."  
  
Usagi held her arm out to indicate the structure behind her. The crowd   
gathered about her roared loudly and applauded as a hundred flash bulbs shot   
off at once.  
  
In the background, hiding behind the amassed crowd, stood a suspicious   
character with a sardonic grin tucked across his orderly features. He eyed   
the festivities with a detached interest. By all means, this discovery was   
rightfully belonged to him, Kazuya Ashiki. Why then, was Tsukino Usagi in   
the limelight?  
  
The neatly-dressed gentlemen covered his mouth as he lightly cleared his   
throat. He strode away from the crowd, the same amused grin spread across   
his face. Somehow, his name would find its way into this discovery, and at   
that very moment he was hatching a plan to do just that.  
  
"I ask that all of you remain quiet and please, don't disturb anything.   
This tomb has remained undisturbed for at least hundreds of years, if not   
more. The dust, I'm sure, will also be quite thick. If anyone has a   
history of asthma, you may like to remain outside."  
  
Usagi wore a smile matched only by her vibrant personality as she stepped   
into the tomb. Her foot was the first to disturb this dust in generations   
and generations. At the exact moment her foot touched the cold dust-strewn   
stone floor inside the tomb, a heavy wind shot forth from the entrance.  
  
"Tsukino Usagi..."  
  
There was no mistaking it this time, a voice had spoken her name. That   
voice, she gulped, was being carried on the wind from deep within the tomb.  
  
Commotion from the crowd behind her brought Usagi back to her senses. The   
crowd behind her pushed forward, prodding her to go in further so that they,   
too, may see a relic from a world much different from their own.  
  
Usagi hesitated again before turning to the mass of adventurers behind her.   
She could not shake the premonition that this find was not coincidence.   
Some mysterious power had guided her to this find. Until the voice and the   
wind, she had not been certain but now she carried no doubt in her mind.   
Addressing the audience behind her, Usagi cleared her throat lightly.  
  
"Gentlemen, I must apologize, but I feel that I must explore the tomb on my   
own before allowing it to be open for others to venture inside and document.   
Now, if you will excuse me, I will return shortly."  
  
And with those words, Tsukino Usagi, tomb-raider, stepped entirely inside   
the thousand-year-old structure.  
  
No sooner had she touched both feet to the stone ground, than a violent wind   
erupted from the depths of the tomb.  
  
"Tsukino Usagi... enter..."  
  
Usagi stepped forward and the wind ceased. She produced a torch and lit it   
with her lighter, which she tucked neatly away into her backpack.   
Overwhelmed with curiousity and excitement, she stepped further into the   
dark tomb.  
  
Cold, damp air, thousands of years old, crept into her skin. It was amazing   
that the temperature held within the tomb could be so much colder than that   
outside. The adventurer paused for a moment to run her hand along the rough   
wall. She glanced at her finger tips and rubbed them together. No dust.   
Was it possible that the creators of this structure held the technology to   
create an air-tight environment? Even so, dust always settles. A shiver   
found it's way running down Usagi's spine. The flame shifted a bit as Usagi   
thrust the torch ahead of her and continued to walk the damp hall.  
  
A cry ripped the cold air and another violent gust of wind shot through the   
halls. Usagi's eyes widened as she forced herself to continue deeper into   
the tomb. Perhaps someone had snuck in while she was addressing the crowd.  
  
The hallway abruptly ended as it coalesced into a circular room. Flames   
flickered from several torches, evenly spaced aroundthe outer walls of teh   
room. There were no other exits, save the one that Usagi found herself now   
standing in. Usagi gasped in shock as she found several men, cloaked in   
black, standing around a sarcophagus in the room's center.  
  
Something was being prepared as the men laid out a series of bandages and   
surgical instruments next to several mysterious jars. A series of ancient   
hyroglyphs had shown the procedures performed before her a multitude of   
times, each drawing seeming to be more gruesome than the previous.  
  
Where had these men come from and what were they doing here? Was this   
discovery all just some sick, twisted joke? Had her old adventuring partner   
actually gone as far as this in order to try to make her the laughing stock   
of the profession? Neither idea seemed to explain the deftness and   
experience with which the men before her completed the rituals long since   
forgotten.  
  
Selecting a rune-adorned blade from a set of knives, one of the men held it   
above the sarcophagus. He began to chant something in a language long since   
forgotten. Usagi blinked. She should be taking notes, but knew that   
somehow this had to all be some sort of facade, a twisted vision of her   
imagination.  
  
And then the knife was thrust downward and a scream rent the stale air. A   
bandaged figure shot upward from inside the sarcophagus, screaming as   
several of the men desperately sought to contain their captive once more.   
Usagi shrieked and dropped her torch, garnering the attention of the cloaked   
men before her. One of them looked at her a moment before producing a   
wickedly curved blade from his ceremonial robe and stepped toward her, the   
blade outstretched.  
  
Usagi turned and ran back down the direction from which she had come. Light   
flooded into the hallway from the only exit. The man behind her shuffled   
awkwardly in his robes, giving Usagi every chance in the world to escape.   
She burst from the entrance and into the daylight.  
  
A crowd of restless professionals and journalists spun as Usagi burst from   
the tomb's entrance, breathing heavily. She faltered and collapsed outside   
of the entrance. A crowd of people surrounded her and then she lost   
conciousness...  
Usagi walked up the steps to her simple, cluttered home. She took special   
note of the "Room to Rent" sign in her window and sighed. Her mother didn't   
understand Usagi living on her own. Mimicking her mother's voice, Usagi   
rattled off the usual banter. "It's not safe for a girl to live on her own   
these days. You should find yourself a good husband and settle down and   
raise fat babies." It was not that Usagi had not had the opportunities to   
get married, it was that she was already in love; with her work.  
  
Stepping onto the porch, Usagi found her door key and fit it into the lock.   
She glanced upward and found a letter taped to the front of her door. A   
minute later, she had the letter clenched between her teeth and was making   
her way into her home. Usagi deposited her coat on the coat rack beside the   
door, and left her shoes just beneath it. The past week had gone by so   
quickly, and yet so much had occurred.  
  
The tomb of King Chiba the First had been fully excavated and researched.   
When Usagi had told someone of the events that she saw transpiring, they had   
looked at her like she was crazy. Taking the hint, Usagi had not mentioned   
the story again.  
  
After losing conciousness, she had been taken to a hospital in Cairo where   
she had been left to recover while a small team of researchers removed   
artifacts from the tomb, which were shipped to the Tokyo National Museum.  
  
Usagi sighed heavily. She wanted so much to be a part of the excavation   
team, especially on her discovery. However, the museum had requested   
everything be moved on a certain timeframe. She sighed and moved into the   
kitchen, where she put on a pot of water to boil for some hot cocoa. Usagi   
stepped into her bathroom and found a comfortable water temperature, with   
which she filled the tub. She bathed and then changed into her pajamas,   
then walked back into the kitchen.  
  
The water she had put on to boil had long since evaporated. Usagi sighed   
and filled the pot again, then set it back on the stove. The back porch was   
literally piled with newspapers from when Usagi had been out of town. She   
reached into the pile and randomly drew a paper, then walked back into her   
home. Boiling water greeted her, which was instantly fixed into a warm cup   
of hot cocoa.  
  
Light filled the living room as Usagi turned on a lamp. The mug of hot   
cocoa fell from her fingers as she stood with her mouth gaping open. Pain   
shot through Usagi's foot as the mug crashed down on her big toe.  
  
Shocked as she was, Usagi didn't notice. Instead, her eyes remained on the   
large sarcophagus that took up the bulk of her living room. She blinked and   
sat back in her favorite rocking chair. Her thoughts collided throughout   
her head, and she thought that somehow somebody was upset at her and was   
trying to make her crazy.  
  
Her eyes looked away from the sarcophagus and rested on the letter she had   
retrieved from her door, now conveniently resting on the kitchen table. The   
letter opened easily, and Usagi slipped the short note out and scanned over   
it.  
  
Ms. Tsukino  
  
We regret to inform you, but there has been a burglary  
attempt at our museum. Rather than sacrifice the  
security of your upcoming presentation and exhibit, we  
have moved the main attraction into your home, where we  
trust it will be safe from such accidents.  
  
Thank you,  
  
Tokyo National Museum Management  
  
The museum director had to be out of his mind! What would her mother think   
when she found a thousand-year old mummy asleep in her living room?   
Eventually, Usagi's curious nature got the better of her and she leaned over   
the sarcophagus, running a hand over the dusty surface.  
  
Thunder echoed in the distance. Another storm was moving in, and quickly at   
that. Usagi traced her finger over the carvings in the sarcophagus's lid.   
She smiled. She had never imagined in her wildest dreams she would be   
renting out her spare room to a mummy. At least her mother might be   
appeased.  
  
And then the doorbell rang. Usagi found her thoughts suddenly back to the   
present as she ran to the door. She unbolted it and upened the dor far   
enough that she could look outside to see her guest.  
  
"Usagi, I know you are hiding something!"  
  
"Ashiki? What are you doing here?" Usagi's eyes narrowed as she spat his   
name from her lips.  
  
"Such cold words, for someone I thought loved me. I came back to ask if you   
would like to get back together with me. Think about it. The two of us,   
making discoveries again. My handsome face next to your charming looks on   
the front of every excavation journal. We can be big again, Usagi."  
  
Usagi frowned. "Ashiki, you have already broken my heart once. Anything   
that was between us is gone. Now please leave my property before I call the   
police."  
  
"Not quite yet," sneered the upset young man before her. "I know you are   
hiding something Usagi. I know it! You know very well that discovery   
should have belonged to me. I plan to do anything I can to get it back. Be   
warned." Ashiki turned from the porch and walked away, pausing a moment to   
step on an early flower blossoming in the flower bed aside Usagi's front   
walkway.  
  
"What a perfectly terrible man!" pouted Usagi. How she had ever loved him   
was completely beyond her. She closed the door and hurried back into the   
living room. Kneeling over the sarcophagus, she traced over several of the   
markings before one in particular caught her eye. It was a hyroglyph   
depicting a black-robed figure chasing after a female figure, dressed in   
khaki shorts and a tan shrit. Could it be? This all had to be some sick   
joke. "Only one way to find out," sighed Usagi to herself as she gripped   
the lid to the sarcophagus.  
  
The sound of the lid grating against the lower half was only slightly more   
bearable than the visit from Ashiki. Usagi hadn't moved the lid more than   
half an inch when thunder cracked through the air and the lights all wnet   
out. Usagi sat in pitch black.  
  
"Great, now the lights decide to go out!" sighed Usagi as she felt her way   
to the kitchen, where she found a candle and lit it. She walked back into   
the living room and looked at the sarcophagus. The lid lay on the floor   
next to the empty base. Usagi's eyes widened in horror. The candle light   
flickered.  
  
The doorbell rang.  
  
Usagi stomped to the door, a menacing look crossing her face. Ashiki was   
responsible for all this, she knew it. And she knew exactly who was at her   
door right now, and thoroughly meant to give him a piece of her mind. She   
unlatched the door and flung it open.  
  
"Now listen here! I don't appr--" Usagi trailed off.  
  
Standing on her doorstep was a man, about six-foot tall with an average   
build. He clutched a trenchcoat about him, and his face was shaded by the   
hat he wore. His free hand held the "Room to Rent" sign that Usagi's mother   
had hung in the window. She wasn't quite sure, but Usagi thought that the   
man was bandaged.  
  
=====================================================  
  
Feedback, onegai? The mummy might not like it if he doesn't hear how well   
he acted, and hence may refuse to appear in the next chapter ^_~ 


	2. two

*yawns and stretches* The TLP will become SD now and will henceforth   
suddenly become lively and full of energy. *promptly disappears in a puff   
of smoke and appears as a smaller, cuter version of himself*  
  
WAI WAI! Look! I finished the next chapter! Thanks everyone for the   
beautiful comments. Oh, and Kari, you can go to bed now. *waves to Kari,   
who is camped out on his doorstep* It's okay, I gave you Jungle Fever, the   
next Adventure of Darien the Cynical Bagger, more Urban Legend, and now   
this. Go to bed now, onegai?  
  
The Mummy's Curse Part 2  
PG  
thelonepig@hotmail.com  
"Can I help you?" Usagi managed, trying to keep her voice steady.  
  
The man turned his head and coughed violently. Dust settled onto the porch   
from underneath the man's trenchcoat. Usagi couldn't help but feel slightly   
disturbed at the man's unkempt appearance, but invited him in nonetheless.   
The sooner her spare bedroom was rented out, the sooner her mother would   
drop the whole situation.  
  
"Can I get your coat Mr... ?" hesitated Usagi.  
  
"Chiba. Chiba Mamoru. And if you don't mind, I'd like to keep it with me."  
  
Usagi shrugged and began to step into the living room, before quickly   
hesitating. "Perhaps you'd like to see your room?"  
  
Mamoru nodded and followed Usagi as she walked up the stairs of her home.  
  
"Alright, Mr. Chiba, here is the bathroom," said Usagi, pointing to a room   
as they passed by. "And here is the bedroom." The solid door swung open as   
she pressed on it.  
  
The guest room had been freshly painted and was charmingly but very simply   
decorated. Mamoru stepped inside and looked around. "Yes, yes. This   
should do nicely. Thank you."  
  
Usagi stood for a moment and watched in amusement as her mysterious guest   
poked around the room. He opened the closet, peeked in the dresser, and   
bounced lightly on the bed. Usagi turned to leave, bringing the door closed   
behind her. She hesitated for a moment and turned the doorknob again,   
peeking silently back into the room.  
  
She looked inside just enough to see Mamoru's hat sitting on the dresser. A   
mirror, conveniently placed above the dresser, allowed her to watch her   
renter as he sat on the bed. Mamoru's head was fully wrapped in bandages,   
yellowed with age. Usagi bit down on her finger in order to keep herself   
from gasping in shock. She remained quiet and continued to watch.  
  
Bandages fell in a pile on the floor. Why would anyone be wrapped in so   
much cloth? Usagi looked up into the mirror again, and gasped when she   
found a pair of deep blue eyes staring directly at her. She cleared her   
throat. "Mr. Chiba? We forgot to discuss the payment. Perhaps in the   
morning? I'm sure you are weary and would like to rest."  
  
Mamoru smiled to himself as he heard her footsteps pad down the carpeted   
hallway.  
Smells and sounds of bacon, eggs, and toast filtered through Usagi's home.   
Usagi groaned and turned over in bed, throwing the pillow over her. The   
smells in the air enticed her up. She smiled and stretched, then sat up in   
bed.  
  
"Good morning, Sunshine," smiled Mamoru.  
  
Usagi screamed, grabbed her blanket, and wrapped it up around her.  
  
"What are you doing in my room?" she wailed.  
  
Mamoru lifted the tray he was carrying. "I thought you might like some   
breakfast." He stepped forward and sat the tray down over Usagi's lap.   
Usagi blinked twice and looked at the tray. A large pancake filled the   
plate, spilling slightly over the edges. Two sunny-side-up eggs stared out   
like two eyes. A piece of bacon grinned up at her, completing the face.  
  
Upon seeing her quizical glance at two glasses, one filled with juice and   
the other with milk, Mamoru smiled. "I didn't know which one you liked, so   
I gave you a bit of both. I would've asked, but I wanted it to be a   
surprise."  
  
A red rose, standing in a long clear vase, completed the breakfast surprise.   
Usagi didn't know what to think of this sudden change in her lifestyle.  
  
For the first time, she looked up and saw Mamoru without his trenchcoat on.   
A simple pair of blue slacks covered his muscular-looking legs. The slacks   
were suspended at his waist courtesy of a brown belt. He also sported a   
red, turtleneck sweater. The tips of his bandaged hands peeked out from two   
long sleeves. Usagi thought for a moment as to why he would be wrapped in   
cloth, but then found herself enraptured in his deep blue eyes. A pair of   
sunglasses sat perched in his black hair. Usagi blushed and subconciously   
pulled her blanket further up around her.  
  
Mamoru smiled in spite of himself and tilted his head to look at her. He   
sniffed at the air. "What's that?" he inquired.  
  
"Did you forget something?" asked Usagi, pointing to the kitchen.  
  
Smoke rose from the stovetop. "Ah! My breakfast!" shouted Mamoru, running   
into the kitchen. Usagi smiled in spite of the situation, and even went as   
far as having to stifle a giggle. She watched as her mysterious guest   
searched throughout her cupboards for baking powder as a fire erupted from   
the bacon. Everything he did seemed to be so exaggerated. She grimaced as   
Mamoru waved his hand over the fire, trying vainly to fan the flame out.   
The bandages on his hand caught the fire and he was suddenly reeling around   
the room in panic, trying to put out his hand. He finally made it to the   
sink, where he sighed in relief upon plunging his hand into the dishwater.  
  
Usagi erupted into a fit of laughter. He was her own personal Looney Toon.   
She smiled. "Maybe it won't be so bad having somebody else in this house,"   
she thought to herself as Mamoru dried his bandaged hands.  
Mamoru turned out to be the perfect houseguest. Usagi found herself away at   
the museum nearly every day, readily working out the details of her exhibit   
and presentation. Strangely enough, her home was clean every time she came   
home, which was more often than not late at night. Mamoru had already sent   
himself to bed, but a note every night lay on the kitchen counter.  
  
Good morning Sunshine  
  
I made dinner, there is a plate in the icebox for you. Hope work went well,   
I hope to see you in the morning.  
  
Sleep Well,  
  
Mamoru  
  
Usagi rarely saw her guest, and had forgotten to figure payments with him.   
Frankly, however, she did not care. As far as she was concerned, he did   
more than his share of work and had earned his keep. Besides, she was   
beginning to like him more with each passing day.  
Work at the museum progressed quite rapidly. The exhibit was far ahead of   
schedule. It was only the short matter of a week before Usagi's   
presentation before members of the National Historian Society. Luckily, she   
was more than prepared for the lecture.  
  
Usagi called the day off early, sending everyone home at three o' clock in   
the afternoon. She stayed for two more hours, researching the details of   
her presentation and walking through the exhibit to make sure everything   
stayed in place. It was truly amazing how so many artifacts could remain   
behind from such an ancient culture. Usagi's theories, however, tried to   
set aside the circumstancial evidence of artifacts and drawings, and   
centered more towards explaining the thousands of mysteries.  
  
"These cultures," as her speech began, "have been underestimated for far too   
long. We look at their clay pots, their grass huts, and we assume they were   
inferior to our own culture." However, the professors and historians seemed   
to avoid such delicate subjects as the pyramids and embalming. Usagi would   
prove someday that the ancient Egyptian culture was indeed as   
technologically advanced, if not more so, than her own civilization.  
  
Upon finding everything in order, Usagi left the museum, locking the exhibit   
door behind her. She walked through the rest of the museum and exited   
through the front doors. At the front of the building, she hailed a taxi.  
Usagi rummaged for her keys to open the front door, then realized that it   
would be unlocked, as she was returning early. She was greeted with music   
blaring from the phonograph. It was a jazzy piece, slow and subtle, yet   
full of life. Mamoru was busily washing dishes in the sink as Usagi stepped   
into the kitchen. His deep voice sang along in harmony with the rich vocals   
of the singer from the record.  
  
My love, here you are...  
So close, yet so far.  
I wish that somehow you could know.  
I want to hold you, the way that I used to,  
Under the moonlight glow.  
All I can do is stand here and sigh,  
And reminisce a while.  
  
A soft brass instrument took over the melody, keeping in harmony with the   
words. Mamoru swayed in tune with the rhythm and hummed the remaining bit   
of the song. Usagi applauded just as it finished, startling Mamoru. The   
plate he had been washing crashed to the floor and shattered.  
  
Usagi jumped back as glass spread across the kitchen floor. Mamoru's eyes   
widened and he immediately squated to the floor, picking up the larger   
pieces of glass. Usagi stepped carefully through the spill and retrieved a   
broom from behind the back door. She began to sweep up the mess.  
  
"You came home early today," Mamoru ventured. "Finish up at the museum   
ahead of time?"  
  
"Yes, things are coming along quite nicely. The exhibit is almost done, and   
I am just finishing up with my presentation. Not a minute too soon, as the   
whole thing will be unveiled in less than a week."  
  
Mamoru looked at her sadly for a moment. "I understand how much this means   
to you, your research and all, but--"  
  
"Is there something wrong Mamoru?" she inquired, looking into his eyes.  
  
He hesitated momentarily, his soul caught up in those beautiful blue eyes.   
"No, Usagi. I wish you the best of luck with your presentation." 


	3. three

I'd like to devote this part to a special friend of mine, Lazuli. Thanks   
for the inspiration Sunshine, you're the greatest ^_^  
  
The Mummy's Curse 3/6  
PG  
thelonepig@hotmail.com  
Mamoru seemed so down the next few days. Usagi found herself thinking more   
and more about his normal jovial personality and wished silently to herself   
that he would return. More than once, while revising her papers, she   
thought back to the man that had mysteriously shown up on her doorstep on a   
dark and stormy night two weeks ago. He seemed so rustic standing on the   
porch. Usagi sighed and set her pencil down on her desk. She leaned back   
in her comfortable chair and removed the pair of reading glasses she was   
wearing and held them in her lap. Usagi stared for a long time at the   
ceiling.  
  
There was something different about that man. His eyes, beautiful as they   
were, harbored a sense of great loss from long ago. Despite the smile that   
always crossed his face, Usagi knew there was something wrong when she   
looked into those eyes. But it was not a look of hopelessness, it was of   
regret. What could Mamoru be hiding from her? Not that it was any of her   
business though.  
  
"I'm turning into my mother," she said silently to herself, smiling as she   
traced pictures in the air with her finger.  
  
She began humming a tune that she had heard just a few weeks earlier.   
Somehow, it sprang to her mind and lyrics came to her mouth.  
  
My love, here you are,  
So close... yet so far.  
I wish that somehow you could know.  
I want to hold you, the way that I used to,  
Under the moonlight glow.  
All I can do is stand here and smile,  
And reminisce a while.  
  
How had that song found it's way inside her head? She continued humming for   
a moment before trailing off. The music, however, continued and even   
increased slightly in volume. Usagi blinked twice before tilting her head   
up and looking around the room. She stood from her seat and walked into the   
living room, one hand massaging her shoulder.  
  
Mamoru stepped to the music with two left feet. Usagi grinned widely and   
stepped into the living room. She watched bemusedly as Mamoru tried   
desperately to follow the instructions from a book he held in his hand. She   
watched for a moment before stepping into the room. If he had noticed her,   
he did not say anything.  
  
Usagi smiled as she stepped in front of him, her arms held innocently behind   
her back. Mamoru must have been incredibly engrossed in his dancing   
lessons, for he still did not notice the blonde before him.  
  
Slightly agitated, Usagi reached for the dance book Mamoru held. She threw   
it across the room and stepped in close to him, guiding his hand to her   
waist. Mamoru's right hand, bandaged though it was, all but consumed   
Usagi's left hand as he embraced it. Her hand went to his shoulder. Mamoru   
stood wide-eyed. "Usagi..."  
  
Removing her hand from his shoulder, she placed it silently to her own lips.   
"Just follow my lead."  
  
Mamoru blinked, but had no time to complain as Usagi began to sway back and   
forth. Mamoru found his body, too, swaying in tune with the music. He had   
just caught the rhythm when Usagi began to back up slowly. Mamoru faltered,   
his shoes caught in the carpet and he toppled to the ground, landing   
squarely on top of Usagi. He looked down at her deep blue eyes and was   
drawn into them. And the record continued playing.  
  
My love, here you are,  
So close... yet so far.  
  
"I'm... sor... ry," he managed, his lips coming nearer hers.  
  
I wish that somehow you could know.  
I want to hold you, the way that I used to,  
Under the moonlight glow.  
  
Usagi, too, was drawn in by his dark blue eyes. Once again, she saw that   
deep longing for something in his soul. Her head tilted up to meet his.   
Moonlight flooded in from the windows outside, bringing a soft white glow to   
the couple.  
  
And the doorbell rang. Usagi shot up, her head crashing into Mamoru's.  
  
"Ow!" she complained, rubbing her forehead.  
  
Mamoru removed himself from on top of her and went to stop the phonograph   
record. Usagi straightened out the dress she had been wearing, brushed off   
her blouse, and straightened her hair, before hurriedly rushing to the door   
to answer it.  
  
"Usagi!" greeted the handsomely-dressed man at the door.  
  
"What do you want Ashiki?" responded Usagi coldly, folding her arms.  
  
"I bring sweets, for my sweet," Ashiki replied, pulling a heart-shaped box   
from behind his back and offering it to the agitated woman in front of him.  
  
"Why are you here?"  
  
The man looked shocked. "I am simply trying to be as congenial a gentleman   
as I can be. You realize how I feel about you Usagi, I want us to get back   
together."  
  
"Ashiki, you were the one that stomped on my heart after I gave it to you.   
What makes you think I would come back to you?"  
  
"Usagi, I realize my mistake, please..."  
  
Mamoru walked to the door, curious as to the cause of such confusion.  
  
"Usagi?"  
  
Ashiki jumped. "Who are you?!" he demanded of Mamoru.  
  
Mamoru blinked at the intruding figure. "Are you addressing me sir?"  
  
"Yes you! How dare you be inside Usagi's house! In the name of her dead   
father, get out immediately!"  
  
Usagi lost her temper. "How dare you! Get out! Get out! Get out! He has   
rented a room from me, as per request of my mother! If you don't like that,   
then you can take it up with her! Now good night!" The door slammed in   
his face.  
  
Kazuya Ashiki stood bewildered momentarily on Usagi's door step. He pushed   
his glasses further up on his nose and sneered. "Usagi, you will pay for   
taking my fame from me, just you wait." Tucking his hands into his pockets,   
Ashiki stepped off the porch and looked up at the bright moon. "Only three   
more days until the full moon and your presentation, my dear Usagi. And by   
then, you shall know my anger."  
Once the door had been closed, Usagi lost her composure. Tears prodded at   
the corners of her eyes and she hurried into the living room, where she   
collapsed into her rocking chair. Mamoru glanced into the room, a look of   
concern marring his handsome features.  
  
"Usagi?"  
  
She glanced up at Mamoru and hurriedly wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm   
fine. Don't worry about it, it's late. You should sleep."  
  
Mamoru crossed the room to her and knelt by her side. He held her chin in   
one hand and tilted her face up so he could look into her eyes. His other   
hand brushed a tear gently from her cheek.  
  
"You are truly beautiful..." he whispered.  
  
Usagi looked at him nervously, her eyes fluttering nervously. Mamoru   
brought his lips close to hers once again, but Usagi sniffled and pulled   
away.  
  
"Mamoru, why do you have bandages on your hands?" asked Usagi, eyeing the   
sarcophogus that still littered one side of the room.  
  
Mamoru smiled at her and pulled away. He sat comfortably on the floor and   
watched Usagi for a moment before speaking.  
  
"When I was eight years old, my hometown had record high temperatures.   
Fires spontaneously began erupting throughout the area. My father was   
called to help with the fire control, and the night after my home caught   
fire. We were all asleep, my mother, brothers, and sisters. One of the   
neighbors noticed the blaze first. He yelled for help, and ran in to warn   
my family. I remember waking as a man grabbed me around the waist and threw   
me over his shoulder, much akin to a sack of potatoes."  
  
Usagi blinked and nodded for Mamoru to continue.  
  
"By the time the neighbor had gotten me outside, it was too dangerous for   
him to enter the home again. Help had arrived by then, but it still took   
most of the night to put out the fires." He hesitated a moment and looked   
away from Usagi, tears welling in his eyes. "I still hear the screams of my   
family as they were slowly killed in that blaze..."  
  
An uncomfortable silence fell over the room.  
  
Mamoru sniffed and wiped his eyes. Usagi stood from her chair and kneeled   
beside him. She hugged him tightly to her and let him rest his head on her   
shoulder. Usagi began rocking Mamoru back and forth slowly in her arms.  
  
The phonograph in the corner played static for a few minutes before   
strangely jumping back to the beginning of the record. Jazzy music filled   
the moonlit room. Usagi hummed quietly to herself before singing with the   
music.  
  
My love, here you are,  
So close... yet so far.  
I wish that somehow you could know.  
I want to hold you, the way that I used to,  
Under the moonlight glow.  
All I can do is stand here and smile,  
And reminisce a while.  
  
The final note lingered in the air a moment before plunging the room once   
again into silence. And there the couple sat for the remainder of the   
night. 


	4. four

Greetings and salutations minna. The part is out a bit late -- blame the   
bunch of them at the chatroom tonight. *L* Ah well, it was fun. I think I   
like the way this series is turning out and definitely plan to write at   
least one more fic sometime in its general pace... hmm... WAFF writers   
anonymous? Ah well, is this chapter what they call angst? *hoping for   
feedback* 'Till tomorrow minna!  
Chapter 4  
PG  
thelonepig@hotmail.com  
"Usagi-dearest?!"  
  
Usagi's eyes flittered open. Light filtered in between the curtains hanging   
in the front window. She sat up and stretched, looking about her.  
  
"Usagi?"  
  
"In here mom!" she called back.  
  
Mamoru was nowhere to be seen. Usagi blinked again and held up a blanket   
covering her. "Where did this come from...?" she thought to herself. She   
smiled, thinking that Mamoru must have woken before her and covered her.   
How had all of this happened? She felt warm and safe when around Mamoru.   
His warm, comforting arms reminded her of when her and Ashiki had been   
together. Damn that man for breaking her heart.  
  
"Dear?" inquired Usagi's mother, stepping into the living room. "Why are   
you sleeping in here? I thought for sure I would have missed you and you   
would already be at the museum. What are you doing home?" Noticing the   
open phonograph, the needle still turning on the record, Usagi's mother   
walked over and began putting the machine away. "Usagi, dear, please take   
more care of this. You know it used to be your fathers..."  
  
Usagi frowned. "Sorry mother, I didn't mean to. I just fell asleep   
listening to some music."  
  
"I understand dear, but I just want you to understand how important this is.   
You are a grown woman living on your own. You know how dangerous it is   
..."  
  
"... for a woman to be living on her own these days," finished Usagi. "Yes   
mother, I know. You realize how I am with my work, I don't have time for a   
family."  
  
"But dear, you aren't expected to work. And when am I going to get   
grandchildren? You know I won't be here forever," Usagi's mother pleaded.  
  
"Mother, you know I am doing just fine on my own."  
  
"I'm your mother, I'm supposed to worry. And now you don't even have that   
room to let sign up anymore. Can't you just satisfy some of your mother's   
wishes?"  
  
Usagi looked at her mother furiously. "You know very well I didn't want to   
rent that room. But for your information, I so happen to have rented it."  
  
Usagi's mother was on her like a bolt of lightning. "Who? A man? Is he   
handsome?"  
  
"Mother! Would you please stop interfering with my life!" pouted Usagi.  
  
"Dear, I just --" The look Usagi shot her mother could have silenced an   
army.  
  
"Well, anyway," her mother replied flustered. "I just wanted to stop by and   
see how you were doing. I'm going out with some of the ladies today for   
lunch and..."  
  
"...you wanted something to gossip about?" finished Usagi.  
  
By now, Usagi's mother had become quite exasperated. "I can see you aren't   
ready to talk about it. Just remember to call me on occassion. I sit by   
the telephone every night waiting for you to call, and you never do. I just   
want to know my little girl is safe."  
  
Usagi walked with her mother to the door and let her out. "Mother, I'm a   
big girl. Don't worry, work keeps me busy. I'll call, I promise." And   
with that, the elderly woman found herself standing outside on the porch as   
the front door settled behind her.  
Usagi sighed and fell back against the door, letting out a sigh. Mamoru   
walked down the stairs dressed in his usual attire of a pair of slacks and   
turtleneck sweater. "Was there somebody here?"  
  
"Just my mother," she replied wearily, making her way into the kitchen.  
  
Mamoru followed closely behind her and paused in the doorway between the two   
rooms. Usagi walked to the cupboard and opened it up. She removed the   
flour and set it on the counter, then reached for the measuring cups that   
were hanging over the sink. Mamoru reached them first and lifted them from   
the hook they were on. He looked down into Usagi's eyes and smiled.  
  
"I'll cook, it's the least I can do as your house guest."  
  
He turned her around and placed his strong hands on her shoulders. He led   
her to a chair at the table and set her down.  
  
"Now you stay here Sunshine, and I'll make you the best darn pancakes you've   
ever had."  
  
Usagi blinked and sat in the chair for a moment before glancing at Mamoru   
curiously. "Mamoru, why do you always call me Sunshine?"  
  
"Eh? Sorry, what was that?" he asked, looking up from whipping a batter   
together.  
  
"Sunshine. It's written on all of your notes."  
  
"Oh that? Sorry, just a quirk of mine."  
  
"But what does it mean?"  
  
"Sunshine. You know, I suppose I've never put it into words before."   
Mamoru dropped some batter into a frying pan and let it settle for a minute   
as he retrieved some bacon from the icebox. "Well, when I was a child, my   
mother once pointed out to me how beautiful the sunrise was. It always made   
me think and I remember often waking early just to watch it. The sunrise   
always cheered me up. I loved to feel the first rays of warmth shine onto   
my face."  
  
Usagi listened with interest.  
  
"Seeing the sun come up in the morning always puts a smile on my face, so I   
guess in referring to you as Sunshine, I mean that you make me happy."  
  
Usagi blinked twice at him and an awkward silence fell over the room. And   
then her eyes widened. Pointing to the stove, she screamed. "MAMORU!"  
  
Mamoru turned to see smoke rising in a mushroom cloud from his pancakes.   
"ACK!" He grabbed the frying pan from the burner and moved it over to the   
sink, where he held it for a moment to let it cool. He turned to Usagi with   
an immense grin spread across his handsome face. "The great thing about   
being constantly bandaged, you don't have to use hotpads!"  
  
Usagi laughed so hard she fell onto the floor. Tears welled up in her eyes   
as she rolled about, trying desperately to regain her composure. Mamoru   
chuckled to himself and soon joined her on the floor.  
  
The grandfather clock in the living room tolled nine o' clock. Usagi   
suddenly shot up. "I'm late! I should have been to the museum by now! Oh,   
I hope they don't mess up my poor exhibit." She quickly rushed into the   
bathroom and made herself presentable before making a mad dash for the front   
door.  
  
"Thanks for the breakfast Mamoru, I'm sure it would have been good!"  
  
The door clicked shut behind her, leaving Mamoru utterly confused on the   
kitchen floor.  
All the preparations had been made and Mamoru had just started looking over   
the feast he had cooked. The front door clicked open, announcing Usagi's   
arrival home. Mamoru smiled to himself and lit the candle that had been   
placed on the center of the kitchen table before ducking into an adjoining   
room to witness her reaction.  
  
Weary from a long day at work, Usagi had no other plan than to soak in a   
warm bath for a good hour before falling asleep. As she walked into the   
kitchen, she found that was not to be the case.  
  
An intricate candle-light scene had been cut into the otherwise-rustic   
looking home. Two plates were set out on the table, both crowded with a   
delicious looking meal. Usagi leaned in closer and found a note sitting   
before one of the plates.  
  
Please be seated, m'lady...  
  
Usagi picked the note up and looked it over. She was too tired to think   
things over and took her seat. Moments later, the phonograph began playing   
a very familiar song. Usagi gasped as a pair of strong hands placed   
themselves over her eyes.  
  
"Pretend you haven't seen any of this yet."  
  
Usagi smiled. "Seen what?"  
  
Mamoru removed his hands from her eyes and she looked up into his smiling   
face. He sat in the seat across the table from her and gestured towards her   
plate. Usagi shrieked as she found a small gift-wrapped package on the   
plate in front of her.  
  
A silver ribbon accented the top of the box, which Usagi readily tore into   
at Mamoru's assurance. She held a velvet container in her hand. Her eyes   
widened as she looked at Mamoru across the table. The same smile still   
shown across his face.  
  
Usagi opened the box slowly, finding a beautifully crafted silver necklace   
inside. Two separate chains intertwined each other and held a small ruby,   
cut into a prism.  
  
"Mamoru, it's beautiful," she exclaimed, her eyes widening.  
  
Sliding his seat back, Mamoru stepped over to Usagi and helped her fasten   
the necklace around her slender neck.  
  
"Mamoru, why are you doing this for me?"  
  
Mamoru smiled. "It's the least I could do for my beautiful landlady."  
  
Usagi watched as Mamoru once again took his chair. She twirled the ruby   
between her fingers and looked down at her plate of food.  
  
"Where did you get this?" she inquired after a period of silence.  
  
Coughing nervously, Mamoru looked away. That look of loss had once again   
returned to his magnificently blue eyes.  
  
"It was once my mother's."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. Perhaps you should keep it then, to remember her." Usagi   
began to remove the necklace.  
  
"You remind me of her," replied Mamoru simply.  
  
Usagi stopped. He was hiding something.  
  
"Mamoru? Where were you born?"  
  
The question sat unanswered for an eternity. Moonlight filtered into the   
darkened room from the kitchen window. A light zephyr blew across the room,   
chilling Usagi to the bone. The candlelight flickered. In the other room,   
the phonograph reached the end of the record and stopped.  
  
"Usagi, I was born in Egypt over a thousand years ago." He hesitated for a   
moment, allowing the words to sink in and to collect his own thoughts. "My   
father was born one of the lower-class, but one day happened across one of   
Pharoah's daughters by the Nile River. They fell in love and eloped, but   
Pharoah found out about it and was furious. He banished my mother, who   
unknowingly was carrying me at the time. My parents ran away to a province   
further south on the Nile and found a place to settle, where I was raised.   
I told you the truth about the fire. My father died only shortly afterward   
-- from grief, mostly. I was taken in to the palace and worked as a servant   
so that my grandfather, Pharoah, would be able to keep an eye on me. I   
suppose even after having banished my mother he still felt some sort of   
connection to her. Looking back, I think he must have felt that by watching   
after me he could atone for what he had done."  
  
"I was raised in the palace, amidst my cousins, though I didn't know it at   
the time. My entire life I served Pharoah to the best of my ability. It   
wasn't until he lay there dying that he explained to me the whole truth of   
my past. So taken aback at his words, I withdrew into myself. Suddenly I   
became worthless as a servant because I was too busy thinking. I should   
have been working. When Pharaoh passed away, I was chosen as one of the   
servants to continue in his service into the next life. Hence, I was   
prepared for burial and mummification and sealed away in a separate tomb."  
  
Usagi stared at him for a moment before breaking into a fit of laughter.   
"Oh Mamoru, that's pretty good! So really, where are you from? Chicago?   
New York? I'll bet it's a big city!"  
  
The pain in his eyes showed that he was not amused. "I have told you the   
truth."  
  
Usagi glared at him for a moment before leaping out of her chair, sending it   
clattering across the kitchen floor. "No! It's too ridiculous to be real!   
How could you do this to me?!" Her emotions carried her away as she burst   
into a fit of crying and ran from the room. "I hate you!"  
  
Another breeze blew through the kitchen, but it was not the bitter chill in   
the air that made Mamoru shiver. The candle at the table died out and all   
was dark. 


	5. five

for once, doesn't have anything to say

Minna, I just wrote this and, well, for lack of a better phrase, the characters took control. It's dark.

The Mummy's Curse  
PART 5  
PG-13

Mamoru sat dejectedly in the dark kitchen, alone with his thoughts. He felt  
better, now that Usagi knew the truth about his past, but now he was alone  
again. The same bitter loneliness that he had felt when his parents and  
brothers and sisters had died enveloped him. How had he appeared in this  
time? Why had it been Usagi that led him here? Had it even been her?  
Somehow, he felt a bond with Usagi. A significant bond, deeper and older  
than the very pyramids he had been buried in. But now, he resolved that it  
was time to move on and discover his true reasons for being here.

The distraught man had carried no belongings with him when he first came to  
this house, save his trenchcoat and hat which he retrieved from the coatrack  
by the front door. He opened the door.

"Goodbye Usagi, my Sunshine..."

Silently behind him, the door closed and the home was plunged into an  
undescribable darkness.

Usagi ran into her bedroom and crashed into the bed, hiding in the soft  
comfort of her pillows. Tears ran freely and unheld as her body shook  
against the mattress. Why had he come to her? How had things progressed  
like they had? She had promised after Ashiki that she would never again  
allow herself to fall in love again, but life had thrown her a different  
lot. Why? She trusted Mamoru above anything, and loved him more than life  
itself. Her feelings had come quickly, taking only two weeks. She had felt  
an undescribable bond with him, one that transcended space and time. Is  
this how fate felt?

Thoughts raged through her as a torrent. And then she heard Mamoru's voice,  
crooning softly as if she were not meant to hear.

"Goodbye Usagi, my Sunshine..."

A soft click resounded throughout the house and Usagi sat on her bed.

"He's gone..." she whispered under her breath. "I've lost him..."

She sat alone, comforted only by the warm glow of the moonlight. A thump  
echoed from the living room, bringing Usagi's thoughts back into the  
present.

"Who's there?" she called into the dark.

Silence ensued.

The blonde quietly stood from the bed and retrieved the wooden baseball bat  
she kept next to her dresser. She held it in front of her and padded softly  
out of her room.

Creeping down the stairs, Usagi peered into the doorway that led to the  
living room. She gripped the bat tightly and stepped inside. Moonlight  
gave the room a slight effervescent glow, allowing her to see, although  
poorly. Once again, she called to the darkness.

"Hello?"

Silence once again. Usagi found herself trembling, but stepped further into  
the room.

The curtains blew gently with the breeze that filtered into the room. Usagi  
walked over to the window and pulled the curtains apart. She sighed. "Must  
have been the wind, my nerves are getting the better of me..."

She reached up to pull the window downward. "Ouch!" she gasped pulling her  
fingers back. Usagi thrust her finger into her mouth to relieve the pain  
and tasted blood. Removing the finger, she held it out to the moonlight and  
watched as a small droplet of blood formed on her finger. "What the heck?"  
she said aloud, startled.

Usagi reached up and closed the window, only to find it shattered. She  
gasped and jumped back wide eyed. Something fell to the floor in the  
kitchen. All about her the shadows loomed in threateningly.

Hoisting the bat in front of her, she eased slowly into the kitchen and  
peered inside. A plate lay on the ground, shattered into a thousand pieces.  
She jumped back, startled, as a flash of white flew across her vision.  
Usagi fell back and landed hard on the floor. She backed up nervously and  
screamed. "Get out of my house! Mamoru!"

And then a small, white head poked from beside the doorway.

"Meow."

The cat padded towards Usagi and looked up at her. Usagi sighed in great  
relief, the tension suddenly gone from her system.

"Was it just you, kitty? How'd you get in here? Did you know you broke my  
window? Bad kitty kitty..." Usagi reached for the cat. "Now, who do you  
belong to?" She looked for a collar, but found none. "Ah, a stow-away, eh?  
Well then, I can't exactly let you go without a meal. What kind of  
hostess would I be otherwise?"

Usagi clicked her tongue and held out her hand, gesturing for the cat to  
come nearer. It hissed and took a few steps, swatting at the air.

"Silly thing, what's wrong with you?"

Usagi leaned closer to the cat, which only backed up further. She went to  
reach for the cat, but suddenly found herself restrained as a strong arm  
wrapped around her waist. She tried to scream in protest, but found another  
hand wrapping tightly over her mouth. Her body was twisted over until she  
found herself lying on her back. The hands moved to hold her arms down, and  
the pressure of her assailant's body pressed down on her.

"Usagi, I told you I wanted you back, but you didn't listen now did you?"

"Ashiki? What the hell are you doing! Get off!"

"We were meant to be together Usagi. But then you left me, and now you have  
taken my discovery and my fame. I want it back!"

Usagi tried to shout back, but found Ashiki's mouth suddenly wrap around  
hers in a sadistic kiss. She bit down hard on his lip and he pulled back.  
He grinned evilly and licked the stream of blood from his lip. Usagi  
screamed and tried furiously to free herself, but she was caught. Ashiki  
glared down at her menacingly. "And now I shall have you, my sweet."

Usagi screamed louder and kicked harder, but to no avail. Ashiki leaned in  
closer, and Usagi closed her eyes tightly, trying to pull herself into the  
floor. And suddenly Ashiki fell off of her, a white furball furiously  
cutting at his face.

The baseball bat Usagi carried found it's way into Ashiki's chest  
repeatedly. And then his hand gripped the bat as it came down again.  
Ashiki stood, bat grasped in one hand, and a cat in the other. He threw the  
cat across the room, where it hit the wall and fell to the floor in a heap,  
unmoving.

"YOU BASTARD!" screamed Usagi, throwing her hand at his face. He caught it  
and held her at the wrist. She screamed as he twisted her hand. Abandoning  
her weapon, Usagi clawed across the front of Ashiki's face with her nails.  
He howled in rage and let go of her wrist. She ran in desperation for the  
door. Throwing it open, she ran out into the cold night air, crying  
desperately for help for anyone who could hear.

Usagi's screams reached the ears of one person that night, a man who had  
just left that house not ten minutes prior. He turned and listened again to  
the wind, wondering if he had indeed heard a cry for help. There was no  
mistaking it the second time. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him  
back the way he could come.

Ashiki clutched his cheek, where several scratches freely bled down his  
handsome face. He grabbed the bat that was now laying on the floor and ran  
out after Usagi. It didn't take him long to catch up to her, as he grabbed  
her arm and brought her crashing to the ground.

"Now you are going to pay for that, dear," he spat, pulling her up by the  
wrist.

"Let go! You are hurting me!"

"I'm going to take what you took from me out of your hide!" He twisted her  
wrist further and further until it made a sickening crack. Pain shot  
through Usagi's arms and she thought there would be no end to the ringing in  
her ears.

And then Mamoru was there, comforting her. She pulled in close to him,  
sobbing freely into his shoulder.

Ashiki reached up and held his face. "You are going to pay for that and for  
stealing Usagi away from me."

Mamoru leaned Usagi gently from his shoulder and stood, facing Ashiki. His  
clothing and hair blew freely as if in a wind, but no breeze was present.  
Ashiki glared at Mamoru, his eyes widening. A blue aura came to the air  
around Mamoru and he began chanting softly. Wind suddenly blasted through  
the neighborhood and Mamoru spoke, his voice taking a deep resonating  
quality.

Ashiki laughed outright at Mamoru. "Now you are taking the act just one  
step too far, my boy. I am an archaeologist and know better than to fall  
for such idiocracy as the kind you are displaying."

"For what you have done, I call upon the plagues of ancient Egypt. You  
shall be cursed for the remainder of your life, however long that may be."

Glaring at him, Ashiki stepped forward. He wielded the bat menacingly.

"Mamoru!" shrieked Usagi.

Ashiki brought the bat up and swung at Mamoru, who grabbed the bat in  
mid-swing. "And this is for me." Mamoru reeled his fist back and sent it  
square into Ashiki's face, sending the man backward.

Standing with a smirk, Ashiki removed his broken glasses and wiped the blood  
from his face. He spat on the ground. "The authorities will have you for  
this. Who are they going to believe now? I, a terrorized citizen, or you,  
a freak who believes he has magic!"

Mamoru, his face unable to hide the hurt and anger he held, watched Ashiki  
with a growing fury. The wind settled and everything became still. Ashiki  
cackled. He took a step forward, and then a puzzled expression fell across  
his face. He fell to the ground, gripping his leg in pain.

Usagi looked wide eyed at her assailant. He rolled on the grass, scratching  
furiously at his leg. The problem became clear as Ashiki lifted his pant  
leg. His flesh had begun to bubble. Ashiki screamed louder as it spread  
further up his leg and eventually consumed his whole body.

Blue and red flashing lights filled the air as two police cars pulled up in  
front of the home. An officer called for Mamoru to remain where he was.

"Run Mamoru!" screamed Usagi.

Mamoru turned to run as one of the officers drew his gun. A shot rang out.  
And then Usagi lost conciousness.


	6. six

The Mummy's Curse PART 6/6  
PG  
thelonepig@hotmail.com  
  
Usagi groaned and stretched in the white sheets. She took note of the IV   
sticking from her arm. It led to a bag of liquid hanging on a rack by her   
bed. She looked up groggily and tried to sit up. As a sudden wave of   
nausea passed through her, Usagi thought it a better idea to lay back down.  
  
"You're awake," pronounced a nurse as she walked into the hospital room.  
  
"Awake?" inquired Usagi curiously.  
  
"Yes, you've been unconcious for over a day now. When the police brought   
you here along with that other man, you were both badly injured, though he   
was in much worse shape. We knew that you would pull through, but the   
doctors are still working with him. I've never seen so many boils and scars   
on anyone." The nurse shook her head sadly, then looked at Usagi and   
smiled. "But now that you're awake, it will be much easier for me to   
perform my check-up."  
  
The nurse took Usagi's blood pressure and ran several other insignificant   
tests. "Well, it looks like everything is checking out. Keep it up and you   
may be out of here by tonight! I'll see you later. Would you care for   
anything to read? I can get a morning newspaper."  
  
Usagi nodded and thanked the nurse.  
  
What had happened? Everything moved so quickly. Ashiki had attacked her,   
but why? Was he truly that upset over her discovery? And when Usagi felt   
that she was alone and had given up hope, Mamoru had appeared to save her.   
What had happened after that? Clips of last night played over and over in   
her mind like a picture show. Mamoru, stood with a faint glow about him,   
wind rustling through his hair. Ashiki clutched his leg in pain, the skin   
forming blisters and boils before her eyes. And then Mamoru ran as a   
gun-shot rang out and then black.  
  
What had happened to Mamoru? Had he been hurt? The nurse had said that   
another man had been checked in at the same time as her, but from the   
description, Usagi knew that they meant Ashiki. That meant only one thing.   
Mamoru had escaped.  
  
Usagi found some comfort in that thought, but wondered where Mamoru would   
run to. Even free, he would not have a place to stay. Nobody would believe   
his story about being a mummy. It was too unbelievable, too fanatical to   
even entertain such a thought. However, she had seen his power right before   
her eyes. She believed him now, and loved him more than ever for it.  
  
The nurse reentered the room and set the newspaper down on the stand next to   
Usagi's bed. She looked at Usagi and smiled. "Cheer up, eh?"  
  
Usagi managed a half hearted smile.  
  
"Listen hun, I'm sure your boyfriend is fine. Give it a few days and he'll   
let you know where he is, I promise." The nurse winked and smiled at Usagi.  
  
"How did you..."  
  
The nurse opened the newspaper and displayed the front page for Usagi to   
see. The front news story prominently displayed the heading "  
  
." Usagi frowned and took the paper from the nurse's hand, reading through   
the article.  
  
The nurse excused herself and Usagi once again voiced her thanks.  
  
The news story contained little information about the actual events as they   
unfolded. Apparently, Ashiki was in critical care while she escaped with   
'minor bruises and injuries.'  
  
"Minor my foot," said Usagi aloud, looking at her bandaged wrist, wondering   
if it was broken. It sure felt broken. She continued reading. The last   
sentences caught her attention.  
  
The suspect is still free. Please contact your  
local authorities if you see or hear anything from  
this man.  
  
Usagi blinked. Mamoru a suspect? It couldn't be possible, it was all   
wrong! Ashiki was the bad guy!  
  
A knock sounded on the door.  
  
"Come in?" called Usagi hesitantly.  
  
A man dressed in a traditional detective-style trenchcoat and hat walked   
inside, followed by two police officers.  
  
"Ms. Tsukino?"  
  
Usagi nodded, wide eyed.  
  
"Would you mind answering several questions about last night?"  
  
Usagi acknowledged that it would be fine, and the detective began with a   
barrage of inquiries as to the events of the previous night. Usagi   
straightened everything out as best she could, recounting the horrific tale   
from hearing a sound in the living room. The detective nodded and took   
notes, occassionally turning to the officer behind him and whispering   
something before turning back to Usagi and asking her to continue.  
  
Finally, the detective concluded his interrogation of Usagi and dismissed   
himself with a polite "Thank you." He also added that he was sorry such a   
thing had to happen to such a delightful woman. Usagi thanked the detective   
for understanding and watched as he left.  
  
Almost immediately, a doctor walked into the room.  
  
"Well Ms. Tsukino, it seems you've recovered quite quickly. I don't want to   
get your hopes up, but we may be able to release you by this evening. Oh,   
and the museum called. They send their sympathies and I was told to let you   
know that the exhibit would still be finished as per scheduled."  
  
Usagi blinked. The exhibit! She had forgotten all about it. Thank heavens   
she was still on time. Come to think of it, her presentation and the grand   
opening was tomorrow night! She began mentally preparing over her notes and   
even called her mom to have them delivered to her. Well or not, Usagi was   
determined to be prepared and present her speech.  
  
Over the course of the day, Usagi managed to finish her speech. Her mother   
stopped in to deliver the notes and worry about her daughter's condition.   
Later that night, Usagi was released under the understanding that she would   
relax for a few days and allow her arm to heal.  
The taxi pulled Usagi up to the front of her house. She paid the driver and   
walked up the porch to her home. The window, she took notice, had been   
repaired already. Usagi let herself in to her home and hung her jacket on   
the coat rack. It seemed vacant without his trenchcoat there. The house   
was emptier than it had ever been before. For a moment, Usagi let her hopes   
up upon finding a note on her kitchen table. However, upon reading it, she   
found it was from the museum explaining that they had taken the sarcophagus.  
  
Usagi was hungry, but did not feel like eating. She cried herself to sleep   
that night, wishing most of all for Mamoru to come back to her.  
The sunlight came unexpectedly through Usagi's bedroom window. She flinched   
and rolled over in bed, wiping the sleep from her eyes.  
  
"Looks like it is my big day," Usagi sighed wearily. She wanted Mamoru to   
be there to see the presentation and to comment on how she did. She wanted   
him to be there to call her Sunshine again. But no amount of wishing would   
be able to change the future. Usagi showered and dressed then grabbed   
something to eat from the refridgerator. She had truly taken Mamoru and all   
that he did for granted.  
  
Locking the door behind her, Usagi walked the mile to the museum and walked   
up the huge set of stairs. She nodded curtly in passing to one of the stone   
lions that guarded the entrance.  
  
The exhibit had been completed. Excitedly, Usagi ran through the different   
displays, polishing plaques and picking up any garbage she found. Luckily,   
everything had gone well in her day's abscence. Usagi found a chair at   
which she could sit and look over her notes while she waited for her work   
crew to show up.  
  
Once they had, the entire central floor was measured out and chairs were   
layed on two sides to fill the entire room. A portable stage was moved into   
the room and a microphone set up, along with a backdrop and slide projector.   
Finally, everything was ready and it was time for those with invitations   
to begin showing. Usagi disappeared to change into more formal attire.   
When she returned, the room was bustling with activity as historians and   
archaeologists alike spoke over the discoveries and oddities contained   
within the exhibit.  
  
The lights in the room began to dim and everyone hurried to a seat. A   
spotlight found itself shining from above the stage and an elderly man   
stepped forward.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, as President of the Tokyo National Museum, I would   
like to thank you all for coming and acknowledge the woman that is here   
today to speak of a discovery that should revolutionize the way we see   
ancient civilizations. Hailing from our own city of Tokyo, I give you   
Tsukino Usagi."  
  
Polite applause roared through the room.  
  
Usagi stood before her audience and gulped. She looked at the notes on the   
podium before her and sighed. She crumpled her notes up in one hand and   
deposited them in the trash can beside her.  
  
"Ladies and gentleman, I must apologize. I have worked hard for this day,   
and I know none of you will understand what I am about to do. These ancient   
cultures we have researched and studied recently are histories of real   
people. We do not realize exactly what they were capable of, nor do we   
associate them as having lived. The discovery we are here to celebrate   
today was too bring a new look into one of these civilizations. I must   
acknowledge the help I had in this project, especially the diggers and the   
museum staff for hosting us. However, due to unforeseen incidents, I have   
decided it better to replace that which we have taken from the tomb and seal   
it away until we better realize what it is we are dealing with here. It is   
my wish that we will know and treat these civilizations as we know and treat   
the civilization we live in now. Until that day, I bid you all farewell."  
  
An uproar came from the crowd as Usagi stepped from the stage and walked   
from the exhibit hall, leaving the noise behind her. She walked outside,   
down the steps, and hailed a taxi.  
  
Back in the exhibit hall, the uproar had hardly settled. A figure, dressed   
in a tan trenchcoat and detective-style hat, stepped out from the back of   
the room. He made his way for the door. His bandaged hand opened it and he   
exited from the room.  
Usagi unlocked her door just as the taxi pulled out from in front of her   
home. She walked inside and deposited her coat on the rack beside the door.   
Her favorite rocking chair creaked slowly back and forth as the fall   
breeze filtered into the room. Usagi walked over to the phonograph and   
picked up a record. She placed it on the player and set the needle in place   
before winding the machine. The familiar jazzy music filled the house   
again, for possibly the last time.  
  
My love, here you are,  
So close, yet so far...  
  
Usagi stood in the doorway to the kitchen. She imagined Mamoru standing   
there, the pancakes burning as he desperately tried to bat the fire out with   
his hands. He looked up to her and mouthed something, before fading away.  
  
I wish that somehow, you could know.  
I want to hold you,  
  
Walking back in to the living room, she saw Mamoru practicing his dance   
steps. His two left feet stumbled across each other.  
  
The way that I used to.  
Under the moonlight glow.  
  
And then she felt his strong arms wrap themselves around her. She reached   
up, expecting to feel his warm hands. But even that wasn't real and he   
disappeared.  
  
All I can do is stand here and smile.  
And reminisce a while.  
  
Usagi rocked herself in her chair, thinking of the past. She did not want   
to hope for a different future. She wanted Mamoru back. Caught up in all   
of the emotion, Usagi cried.  
  
Thunder crackled in the sky as rain began to patter across the roof. Usagi   
walked over to close the window and found the "Room to Let" sign hung once   
again.  
  
"Mother..." she sighed under her breath, removing the sign.  
  
The doorbell rang. Usagi picked up the shawl hanging on the rocker and   
tightened it around her before walking slowly for the door. She opened it   
hesitantly, completely uninterested in her guest. A deep voice greeted her.  
  
"I was inquiring for the room to rent?"  
  
"I'm sorry sir, I was just pulling the sign..."  
  
"I understand miss, sorry to bother you." The man tipped his hat to her and   
turned to walk away. "However, I doubt I'll ever find another archaeologist   
as attractive as you to haunt."  
  
Usagi glanced upward at the retreating figure. "Wait!" She called after   
the man and ran out to stop him, the rain pouring down upon her and soaking   
her to the bone. The figure hesitated and turned to her. Even with the hat   
pulled down over his face, Usagi saw the familiar grin on his features. She   
reached up and removed his hat.  
  
"Oh, Mamoru!" Her tears, now turned to those of happiness, mixed with the   
rain that fell. She reached her arms around his neck and jumped up to kiss   
him. He found her lips and held them in his own. Usagi pulled away, a   
smile of happiness across her face. She opened her mouth to speak, but   
Mamoru placed his finger across her lips.  
  
"How? I thought..."  
  
"Shh," he silenced her. "You said so yourself. It was in your speech. You   
don't know what we were capable of."  
  
Usagi smiled and kissed him again. Mamoru grinned.  
  
"Aren't you going to invite me in for some hot cocoa or something? It's   
freezing out here and I for one wouldn't mind to get into something dry."  
  
Usagi clutched him desperately as they walked into her home, leaving the   
stormy weather behind. Never again would she let him go. 


End file.
